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It’s been a year since U.S. President Donald Trump first floated the idea of Canada as the 51st state, which understandably left a lot of Canadians feeling pretty annoyed. Among them was Canadian comedy legend Mark Critch, who famously plays Trump on the news parody show This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
But instead of responding in his usual way — with a punchline on 22 Minutes — Critch decided to go one step further and write a book about Canadian identity and patriotism. It’s titled Sorry, Not Sorry: An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting For and it’s out now.
In the book, Critch writes that by the time Trump was threatening to make our country the 51st state, we were already in a “state of denial.”
WATCH | Mark Critch portraying Donald Trump:
“You think he’s a joke, but when the president of the United States attacks the sovereignty of this country [you have to take him seriously],” Critch tells Q’s Tom Power in an interview. “And now JD Vance is saying, ‘Don’t be mad at Trump. Your country isn’t garbage because of Trump. It’s because of the leaders you elected because of the CBC.’ And it’s like, oh, you want to go again, do you?”
As an entertainer, Critch has had the opportunity to do something many Canadians can’t or don’t even think about doing, which is travelling Canada and meeting people across the country.
“You can’t help but love Canada after that,” he says.
The one thing about Mr. Trump right now is that I think he has made Canadians a bit more aware of their power.– Mark Critch
For the last year, he’s used his comedy to help empower Canadians in the face of the 51st state threat. Last February, after Trump launched his trade war, Critch went viral for a sketch he did about the Buy Canadian movement.
“People were checking where things were from in the supermarkets and stuff,” he says. “Then I thought, you know what, I would like to write a little sketch that is a way of telling people what is actually Canadian because it can be confusing…. The one thing about Mr. Trump right now is that I think he has made Canadians a bit more aware of their power.”
WATCH | There’s only one winner in a trade war…:
Though Canadians are known for being polite and apologizing for mistakes that others make, Critch says it’s time for that to change. His main argument in Sorry, Not Sorry is that our national strategy for dealing with Trump shouldn’t involve apologizing at all. So what does he recommend saying instead?
“It’s two words: frig off,” Critch says. “I think that we have always kowtowed a bit to the States and I think it’s a great relationship. It’s a wonderful thing. They’re a giant trading partner. But I think maybe they should see us dancing with a different person at the party right now…. I think that maybe we should leave them on read for a while. Don’t text back. Don’t text back, Carney.”
Listen to the full interview with Critch to hear his suggestions for how Canadians can stand up to the 51st State threats, plus, how he learned to love this place after growing up feeling suspicious of Canada like many other Newfoundlanders.
LISTEN | Mark Critch’s full interview with Tom Power:
25:11Mark Critch wants Trump to know he isn’t sorry
The full interview with Mark Critch is available on our podcast, Q with Tom Power. Listen and follow wherever you get your podcasts.
Interview with Mark Critch produced by Vanessa Greco.
